The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) is well known in the art. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286, produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, e.g., peroxy compounds. U.K. No. 1,081,304 produced similar polymers of higher carbon monoxide content in the presence of alkylphosphine complexes of palladium salts as catalyst. Nozaki extended the reaction to produce linear alternating polymers in the presence of arylphosphine complexes of palladium compounds and certain inert solvents. In Nozaki, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412 for example, there is disclosed a complex of a hydrocarbylpalladium halide and an aryl monophosphine. More recent processes for the production of the linear alternating polymers are illustrated by a number of published European patent applications including Nos. 121,965, 181,014, 213,671, and 257,663. These published applications generally involve the use of a catalyst composition formed from a compound of a Group VIII metal selected from palladium, cobalt or nickel, particularly palladium, the anion of a non-hydrohalogenic acid having a pKa below about 6, preferably below 2, and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony, especially phosphorus.
More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon has become of greater interest, in part because of the greater availability of the polymers. The linear alternating polymers, now known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, are relatively high molecular weight materials having established utility as premium thermoplastics. The polyketones are processed by methods conventional for thermoplastics, e.g., injection molding, extrusion and thermoforming, into a variety of shaped articles such as sheets, films, and shaped articles. Although the processes illustrated by the above published European patent applications produce the polyketone polymers in good yield, it would be of advantage to provide an additional process for the production of these polyketones.